That doesn't make any sense, right? Well, what if the UAE owns a country that produces flowers?
During the last 10 years, Ethiopia has turned Teff-and-wheat-growing lands into flower farms. According to Al Jazeera, Ethiopia exports the flowers to the UAE for as little as 10 cents per stem. The UAE then sells the same flowers to Europe for $1 per stem, making a profit of 90 cents per stem.
Question: Why can't Ethiopia sell the flowers directly to Europe and earn $1 per stem?
Answer: Because the UAE owns Ethiopia.